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Two promotions from within JPD's ranks

From left, Juneau Police Department Sgt. Chris Gifford and Lt. David Campbell stand for a portrait at JPD headquarters on Tuesday. Both officers were promoted on Monday by Police Chief Greg Browning.

Two Juneau Police Department officers were promoted this week.

JPD Chief Greg Browning announced that Sgt. David Campbell was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and Officer Chris Gifford was promoted to sergeant. The promotions became effective Monday.

“I think we got two excellent candidates, and congratulations to both of them,” Browning said in an interview.

Originally from Fairbanks, Campbell, 45, has been on the force for 16 years after he graduated top of his class from the Department of Public Safety Academy in Sitka in 1995. He was an investigator for the Southeast Alaska Narcotic Enforcement Team from 1997 to 1999; promoted to sergeant in 2002; supervised the Community Services Unit from 2004 to 2006; supervised Special Operations from 2006 to 2010 and supervised one of the five patrol teams in the patrol unit from 2010 to 2012.

He currently serves as the team leader for the JPD Crisis Negotiation Team, the public information officer and as a polygraph examiner.

He has received a lifesaving medal, the MADD Star Award, DARE Outstanding Team Member award and the Outstanding Police Service medal. He also has an advanced certificate from the Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC), and he is an APSC-certified police instructor and a certified DARE instructor.

Campbell has his bachelor’s degree in justice from the University of Alaska Anchorage, and is currently working on his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Alaska Southeast.

Gifford, 37, born in Platteville, Wisc., and raised in Alaska, began his career at the Hoonah Police Department in 1999, and moved to JPD in August of 2000. He graduated from the Department of Public Safety Academy in Sitka in 1997.

He has been on the patrol unit as an officer and will now supervise one of the patrol teams as a sergeant. He is also a field training officer.

Gifford has a number of accolades, including a lifesaving medal, which he won in 2009 when he directed a search party to look for a missing woman on Dan Moller Trail. The party had been looking for the woman on Perseverance Trail based on a tip from the woman’s husband, but Gifford had traced her cell phone calls to Douglas Island, and found footprints there. The search party was redirected to the right trail, and the woman was found near death from exposure.

“They found the female, and she was almost dead from exposure and alcohol,” Browning said. “If he hadn’t done that, she would have died.”

Gifford is also the president of the local chapter of the police union, the Public Safety Employees Association.

He received his bachelor’s degree in justice from University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1998, and he received an advanced certificate from APSC in 2006.

Campbell, who is now one of the two lieutenants at JPD, is replacing Lt. Troy Wilson, who resigned in December. Gifford is filling Campbell’s old position as one of six sergeants at JPD.